This invention pertains to snow tools and, more particularly, to ice scrapers.
Handheld portable snow tools, typically referred to as manual snow tools, are useful to remove snow, ice and slush from sidewalks and driveways. Over the years, various types of manual snow tools have been developed, such as snow shovels, snow pushers and ice scrapers.
Ice scrapers are useful to scrape, cut and chop ice from sidewalks, stairways, driveways and pavement. Smaller scrapers are useful to scrape ice from vehicle windows and windshields. Ice can accumulate on sidewalks, stairs, driveways and pavement from ice storms or from snow which has melted during the day and freezes at night when the temperature drops. Icy sidewalks, stairs, driveways and pavement can be very dangerous and slippery. It is often difficult to walk and safely drive with full control on icy sidewalks, stairs, driveways and pavements. If snow falls and accumulates on the ice, the underlying layer of ice can be treacherous.
Small amounts of snow can be readily removed from sidewalks, stairs and driveways with a snow shovel. Snow shovels are good all around snow tools. Typically, snow shovels have a generally flat blade with a very slight curvature. Snow shovels are useful to shovel, lift, raise and throw light snow away from the sidewalk, stairs or driveway. If the snow is deep, heavy, or slushy, other types of snow tools are better, safer and more productive than standard snow shovels.
Snow pushers have a rounded or curved blade which are useful to push heavy or deep snow and slush away from sidewalks and drivers. Snow pushers can be very heavy. The deep curvature of pusher blades, however, is not generally useful to lift (raise) and throw snow and slush, which remain after the bulk of the snow and slush has been pushed away.
A concern with snow shovels and ice scrapers is the strength to weight ratio. In the past, the stronger a shovel and ice scraper, the heavier it was, due to the amount of material mass required for rigidity. Previously, conventional manual snow tools were constructed with a wooden handle and a steel or iron blade or scoop. Conventional snow tools are often bulky, heavy and cumbersome to use. It has been common practice to make the shaft from wood and to rivet a section of wood to the handgrip. However, a problem with wood is that unless properly treated, water can rot the wood. Furthermore, wood can splinter and crack. While it is possible to replace the wood, it is more likely that the snow tool will be discarded.
Metal handles comprising metal shafts and/or metal handgrips, made of iron or steel have also be used. In an effort to improve the ease of use and decrease the weight of snow tools, snow tools have been made with aluminum, steel and iron handles and/or aluminum blades. Aluminum handles can be very slippery, cold and difficult to hold when wet, such as when it snows or sleets.
In modern times, part of the snow tools have been fabricated of plastic. Early snow tools with plastic blades were somewhat flimsy and did not wear well. Furthermore, snow tools with smooth, plastic rounded handles can also be slippery and difficult to hold when wet.
If the snow shovel blade or ice scraper blade is made too thin, it will bend under load and may not be suitable to adequately remove snow and ice. Furthermore, snow shovel blades and ice scraper blades are usually subjected to impact forces and abrasion during use from ice, impacted snow, the underlying pavement, salt, etc which can pit, corrode, or otherwise damage the snow shovel blade and ice scraper blade. Moreover, salt used to melt ice and water from slush and melting snow can accelerate rust and degradation of conventional iron snow shovels. Consumer often seek a large, but light weight, snow blade. For these reasons, in place of an iron or steel snow blade, some snow tools are manufactured with aluminum or plastic snow blades. While aluminum and plastic snow blades do not rust, they are much weaker and flimsier than iron and steel and often require greater thickness or metal reinforcement for greater strength to withstand the loads, forces and stresses of shoveling snow and chopping ice.
The blade, shaft and handgrip of a snow shovel and ice scraper can be constructed from plastic which does not rot, rust, or retain cold as its wood and metal counterparts. However, a problem with plastic is strength. A plastic shaft may flex causing the shaft to bend since the shaft can become a fulcrum point during use. A blade made of plastic further presents a number of problems including control of flexing and wear.
In order to manually remove snow from sidewalks, driveways and pavements, different amounts of effort are often required to remove the snow, depending on the depth, temperature, fluffiness, amounts of slush, water, ice and texture of the snow to be removed. Sometimes, women, children and older men can become overburdened and frustrated by the weight and bulkiness of a conventional ice scraper when chopping ice. Also, conventional ice scrapers can be too heavy, awkward and cumbersome to scrape ice for some women, children and older men.
It is, therefore, desirable to develop an improved ice scraper which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems.